Texas State Dominates NCAA Tournament in Thrilling Victory!
It only took two games for the first March Madness dagger of 2026.
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 17: Tramon Mark #12 of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after making the game winning shot against NC State Wolfpack during the second half in the First Four game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 17, 2026 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images It didn’t take long for March Madness 2026 to deliver some thrilling end-of-game drama. In the First Four matchup between No.
11 seeds Texas and NC State in Dayton, Ohio, the Longhorns escaped with a 68-66 win courtesy of senior guard Tramon Mark’s tough game-winning jumper with 1. 1 seconds to go. ARE YOU KIDDING!!!
TEXAS GOES BACK IN FRONT 😱 #MarchMadness pic. twitter. com/UE1EUjYjLc — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2026 Mark drilled an arguably tougher, turnaround foul-line shot to put the Longhorns up by four just two possessions prior, but his heroics shouldn’t have even been necessary.
Texas was just about in cruise control up 62-53 with under two minutes remaining when NC State’s dormant offense and vaunted three-point shooting finally woke up, rattling off four consecutive three-point possessions to claw their way back. Texas turned it over twice as they repeatedly struggled to handle NC State’s full court press. Will Wade’s team scarcely led the entire night, but after Dailyn Swain lost the ball out of bounds while trapped in the back court, NC State had the chance for the lead in the closing seconds.